Mailable display holder



June 7, 1949. MATHEWS 2,472,166

MAILABLE DISPLAY HOLDER Filed D80. 10, 1946 //25 INVENTOR ALBERT MATHEb/SON BY 1 41W Patented June 7, 1949 UNITED STATES oFi ici-i Albert Mathewson, Mount Vernon, N.- Y.-

Application December 10, 1946, Serial No. 71%168 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a greeting or display card.

It is an object of this invention to provide a card adapte to carry agreeting', a picture, or a photograph, which may be folded up fiat for storage or mailing, aiidwhich may be readily opened up to support the card inan inclined position, so that it may rest upon a desk or a mantle, so'that-the pieturewill be firmly displayed at a suitable angle for visibility.

It is a further object to provide a card of the character described which will be firmly supported in every direction'when erected, and which can be cheaply manufactured and assembled, and yetwh-ich is easily opened from the flat condition to the display condition.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture posses-sing the features, properties and the relation of elements which will be exemplifi'ed' inthe article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding" of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1- isa perspective view showing a card em-' bodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the parts lying almost in the flat position. Fig. 3 is an extended view of the blank from which the card is folded, this view being to a slightly reduced scale.

Referring now to Fig. 1, showing the card in its erect position, the stand portion of the card comprises three sections hereinmarked l0, II, and H, which are so folded together that they form a base having a flat bottom, which is the section H, and an arcuate top composed jointly of the sections l0 and I2. The section ID, as shown, is roughly about five-six-thsas long as the section H, and it has two transverse slots in it, one near the outer end, I3, is relatively short measured in the direction of extension of the card blank, and has a stepped edge to provide a wider portion near the end shown at M extending outwardly further toward the side edges of the strip than the remainder, leaving tabs Ma, which define the narrower portion. The other slot, I5, is spaced inwardly from the slot l3; and is of: the same general-character except that both portions of it arelonger' in the direction ofthe card blank, thereby providing a' wider extended portiorr formed by w-i'der notches Hi and wider tabs I-Ba.

ilo-124$) 2 The sections- HI and it, and the sections H and i2 are sepai ated from each other by fold lines ll, andl8 both of which are depressed as seen in Fig.- 3, that is the fold line itself is bent downwardly; The section 20 joins the' section l2- by a fold line F9. The" section I2-,. extending from the fold line l8 to the fold li-n' I9, as will be seen in Fig.- 2 will fold" up over the end of the section Hi to extend beyond thesl'ot |3 when the card is in the completely folded position; But when itsfold I 9 is held in alignment with the slot by portion 2c; as seen ill-Fig, I, it will hold in display coneitio and trace: the parts In and is in armed shape. The fold line 21' is ressed *pwardiy;

section 22 attending from the fold line 21 to the fold line 23 is o'fa leh toext'end from the bottom It whenihtlfe' display position" to the topmost portibfi of the card.- 7

in" thelca'ld the fdldlines n and 23 m the" flat condition are siili'stantially in alignment with each other, and thisis" convenient where it ismtenued to transmit the card as a postal card or greeting card or picture card. Wh'ere 'this is" desirable; this will in fact determine the length of the section 22, as will be readily seen from Fig: 2". This is. however, not a limitation or characteristic or the card; and

n the fold line 23'- may extendwaybeyohd' the line IT, the only limitation being that the card shall not extend highenough; above the base to make the fold line 2 l= is" inserted throughthe slot 13' at the wider portion It,- where'upon it will be held place as soon as the notch 24* comes in position tosp'rin'g" over the" lip'" M'd which forms the narrower portion of the notch. In this po= sitio'n the fold lit-1631 tel-ids to open out enough to give a springy effect, pushing the slot over the lip.

The last section of the card 25 extending from the fold. line 23 to the end of the card is the portion which carries the picture or message for display. Its effective length is determined by the upper edge 26 of notches 21 in its lower corners thus forming a tab 28. The length of this section 25 then measured from the fold line 23 to the upper edge 26 is such as to give to the card, in the upright position, the slant which is most desirable to exhibit the message or picture.

In the upright position of the card, these upper edges 26 rest upon the sides of the narrow portion of the slot I5, as will be seen from Fig. 1, so that the tab 28 extends down through the slot to hold the card in position.

To flatten the card, it is only necessary to press the two sections 25 and 22 together, thereby pressing the lower end of the section 25 into the wider portion of the slot I5, at the same time pressing the section 22 backwardly into the wider portion of the slot l3. Thereupon the sections 22 and 25 fold as a unit, as will be seen in Fig. 2, down fiat over the sections and I I. They may be sealed with any convenient sealing means such as a small strip of adhesive tape.

In opening the card, it is only necessary to break the seal and pull up the section 23 to the upright position, whereupon the natural resiliency of the material of the card automatically holds the notches 213 in engagement with the side edges of the slot l3, and thus raises the sections l0 and IE to their arched position. At the same time, the lower edge of the section 25 is guided into the narrow portion of the slot I where it will rest securely, held in engagement by the resiliency of the fold 23.

From the foregoing it will be clear that a card of this description may be stamped from a singl sheet, and may be assembled rapidly by hand or by machinery with a minimum of effort, and without the necessity of any gluing operations. It will also be clear that the card may be held in either upright or folded position simply and effectively without any sealing except for the adhesive tape above referred to.

It will also be clear that this display card may be used as a greeting card, or as a picture postcard, or it may be used as a support for a photograph, as may be desired, and in any case the message or greeting is fully protected against being damaged or soiled while in the folded position, and is supported against being crushed, by the strength which is given to it by the remainder of the card.

In the folded position, the upper portion of the section 22 and the lower portion of the section I l are both exposed, and one of these may be used for the address and stamp, and the other may be used for a message, if desired. If the card is used as a picture card, that portion of the upper face of the section l0 which is immediately in front of the section '25 may be used to display a legend pertaining to the picture or any other greeting desired.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A greeting card comprising a plurality of portions attached in sequence at fold lines, the first and third of said portions overlying the second, a fourth and fifth portion joined by a fold line, and adapted to extend toward said second portion through a slot in said first portion, said fifth portion having a notch to engage the first portion at the edges of said slot, said fourth portion and said fifth portion, between said slot and said fold line, being of a length to lie fiat between said second and third portions, or to extend upright between them to hold said first and third portions arched away from said second portion to form a prism shaped support, said fifth section extending upwardly from said notch to carry a display, having a sixth portion extending from the outer end of said fifth portion and adapted to have its outer end extend through a slot in said first portion, whereby it may be slid down between said second portion and the first and third portions to permit the card to be folded fiat, or may be raised up to display position with the erection of the fifth portion.

2. A greeting card comprising a plurality of portions attached in sequence at fold lines, the first and third of said portions overlying the second, a fourth and fifth portion joined by a fold line, and adapted to extend toward said second portion through a slot in said first portion, said fifth portion having a notch to engage the first portion at the edges of said slot, said fourth portion and said fifth portion, between said slot and said fold line, being of a length to lie fiat between said second and third portions, or to extend upright between them to hold said first and third portions arched away from said second portion to form a prism shaped support, said fifth section extending upwardly from said notch to carry a display, having a sixth portion extending from the outer end of said fifth portion and adapted to have its outer end extend through a slot in said first portion, whereby it may be slid down between said second portion and the first and third portions to permit the card to be folded fiat, or may be raised up to display position with the erection of the fifth portion, said sixth portion having means at its edges to engage the edges of said last named slot to .support the bottom of said sixth portion from said first portion when in the erect position.

3. A greeting card comprising six portions attached in sequence by fold lines, said first portion having two transverse slots each having a wide part, and tabs forming a narrow part of said slots, the first and third portions overlying the second, a fourth and fifth portion having their joining fold line extending through the slot nearest the end of the strip, one of said portions having edge notches to embrace the tabs of said slot, and a sixth greeting section extending downwardly from said fifth section and having an end tab extending through said other slot.

4. A display card comprising a strip foldable to form a plurality of members, one of which constitutes a bottom, certain of said members being foldable over said bottom inwardly toward each other to form a hollow base, an upright member attached to the inner edge of one of said inwardly foldable members, a downwardly extending member attached to the upper end of said upright member, another of said inwardly extending members having a slot through which the lower end of said downwardly extending member extends; said parts being so proportioned that the downwardly extending member may be slid down between the inwardly extending members and the bottom to fold the entire card to flat form.

5. A display card comprising a strip foldable to form a plurality of members, one of which constitutes a bottom, certain of said members being foldable over said bottom inwardly toward each other to form a hollow base, an upright member attached to the inner edge of one of said inwardly foldable members, a downwardly extending member attached to the upper end of said upright member, another of said inwardly extending REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rosello Jan. 3, 1939 Number 

